pressure and responsibility

judgment experience

“If you’re dealing with pressure that means you’re good enough for people to expect something out of you.”

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Andy Roddick

So.

 

In keeping with the French Open theme today. A quote from a tennis player.

 

Now.

First.

 

Andy is just another American tennis player destined to flameout on the unforgiving red clay of the French Open.roddick french

 

Second.

He ain’t gonna quit coming back regardless of the pressure to win (and consistently dying a slow death on the terre battue).

 

And.

Of all the American players his game is probably as poorly suited for clay as any American player.

 

Oh but.

 

Of all the American players he is the most likely to figure out how to win the stupid tournament simply because of his no quit kind of bad ass attitude.

 

He doesn’t shirk pressure.

He doesn’t shirk the limelight.

 

I may not like his attitude on the court all the time but this boy is gonna keep comin’ at you. And that is why he will show up year in and year out at the French Open.

 

And that is why I love this quote.

Andy understands there is a responsibility that comes along with his talent. He knows people expect something from him.

And he is okay with that.

 

He doesn’t shirk the pressure of the limelight because he understands that people expect things of him. Because he understands he has a talent that not many people have. We can quibble over how good his game is but let’s get this straight. The dude is in the top ten in the world. We are dancing on the head of a pin when we talk about the quality of his game.

We in business and life should take note of this lesson.

 

Having talent is a gift.

Stop looking at it as a burden.

 

With talent certainly comes some not so great aspects but, c’mon, you are in the game for god’s sake.

A lot of people would kill for the talent you may have (and I don’t care if it’s C-level talent or simply a talent for putting things together in your garage).

 

Quit whining.

Quit bitching.

Quit shirking the responsibilities that come along with whatever your gift or talent is.

 

Sure.

There may be someone out there with more talent (tell Andy that every time he steps onto the court with Roger Federer who smoked his ass maybe 12 times straight).

 

But.

So what.

expect the best

That doesn’t diminish your talent. And it certainly won’t diminish the pressures associated with what you can do and what people expect you to keep striving for.

 

But it also shows a spotlight on the fact you must be good at something for people to want to put pressure on you (and you need to remember that aspect).

 

Go get ‘em Andy.

Great thought.

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Written by Bruce